The study of biology includes things that were once living and those alive today.

It is important to study the genetic makeup of other organisms because information in their genetic makeup may hold information about our own.

A single entity has been discovered that shows many of the characteristics of living things including growth, organization, and the ability to maintain homeostasis. However, because it does not reproduce, it is not considered a living thing.

Peer review allows others in the field to assess a scientist’s investigations and results.

After observing tadpoles swimming in the water, you could infer that all amphibians have gills.

Nitrogen is a limiting nutrient for many food webs because the element is relatively rare.

All the biogeochemical cycles involve both biotic and abiotic reservoirs.

A bird fluffs its feathers to trap warm air close to its body.  The temperature of the air next to the bird’s skin is a(n) abiotic factor. _________________________

Photosynthetic autotrophs remove water from the air as part of one of the major biogeochemical cycles. _________________________

Which of the following are likely topics in a biology course?

Which of the following would most likely be the major focus of a biologist?

A person studying a topic is presented with new information that conflicts with previous findings. What would a scientist do in this situation?

What is the basis of the metric measurement system?

Which best explains the importance of understanding science?

Which of the following is an observation?

Which is an inference?

Tasha is testing the effect of blue-colored light on the growth of tomato plants. Which is the independent variable in this experiment?

A person studying a particular field has published her findings. The findings are not testable by others. This person is most likely studying which field?

Some birds are known as honey guides because they may be followed by humans to wild beehives. When the humans take honey from the hives, the birds are able to feast on the honey and bees, too. This type of relationship can best be described as ____.

Cougars are predators that often eat weakened or diseased animals. This is a description of the ____ of cougars.

Organisms with overlapping niches probably have which type of relationship?

How long are food chains?

Which process describes nitrogen fixation?

Your favorite plant is growing very slowly, and you would like to find some way to increase its growth rate.  Which of the following should you try increasing first?

Some farmers use manure on their crop fields.  How does this help the plants?

Which of the following allows the flow of energy through an ecosystem to happen?

Which location would most likely hold autotrophs that derive their energy from chemical compounds?

One of the nutrient cycles moves from an atmospheric gaseous form to the soil through both abiotic and biotic processes, moves through the food web, then is returned to the soil or to the atmosphere.  Which cycle fits this description?

Compare and contrast a food web and a food chain.

Briefly describe the habitat and niche, highlighting their differences, of a mallard duck.

A new entity has been found. Scientists are trying to determine if it is living or non-living. The entity has only the following characteristics: uses oxygen, requires energy, can move, and gets bigger over time. Evaluate the preceding characteristics of the substance and decide if it is alive or not. Defend your answer.

Tyrone knows that using fertilizer will result in more blooms, but wants to know if it will affect a plant’s growth as well. Explain the design of an experiment that would answer this question.

Discuss whether you think food webs change over time (for example, in the course of a year) and why. Suggest examples to back up your arguments.